Just now, dazzledavey36 said:

Lol yeah hes not leaving Freo.

I wouldn’t either.

However, we have nothing to lose in trying.

If we want to have any shot, we need new better players.

14 minutes ago, GawnOfTheDead said:

I wouldn’t either.

However, we have nothing to lose in trying.

If we want to have any shot, we need new better players.

Okay.

But we have zero draft capital. Not only is he the type of forward they have been screaming out for but hes just had a break out year where Freo would easily ask for a 1st rounder.

In fact they wouldn't even ask for anything because hes contracted and they'd simply laugh at use and even entertain the idea.

Theres being ruthless and then there is unrealistic expectations. This is one of them.

7 hours ago, DeeSpencer said:

Because the game is going past him so it's better to cash out now rather than hold on. Depending on the offer.

For most of the season (and honestly for about 3 year now) Bayley has jogged around in second gear. It's not that he doesn't tackle enough it's that he sits and watches play go by until he makes a defensive effort and then invariable it's too little too late. The number of sloppy too high free kicks he gives away is abysmal.

Plus the terrible attempts at winning a contested ball on the deck and over reliance on the get the ball out the back efforts at contested marking rather than playing in front and being willing to wear a defender crashing in to you.

Similarly he's been tried up the ground and for such a skilled player his ball use and decision making are dreadful. He looks like a local football when up the ground.

Now the last 6 weeks or so the penny has appeared to drop a little. He's putting in more effort at the contest and defensively as well as finding the ball consistently. But we've also played a very soft draw. I'd probably still have a draft pick in mind at which point I'd be willing to let him go. He's far from untouchable. But for now anyway he's not almost free to a good home as he would've been mid year.

I don't disagree that he looked out of sorts at the beginning of the year.

I also think, however, that he was being played out of position. Why was he so far up the ground? Despite the fact that nearly none of our guys lower the eyes, he's one of the smartest lead up forwards we have! And he was nowhere near where we were bombing the ball.

If we replace him, who is going to score those 40 goals??

Anyway, you correctly reference his listless start to the year (which I still think was exacerbated by being played out of position) - which if he continued that way, fine, there's maybe an argument to consider an alternative. But if he ends the year playing well (he can only score goals against the teams he plays, he played against soft teams at the beginning of the year and was poor), and with his mojo back, wouldn't you want that version in the team next year? I suspect and hope the next coach will have taken notes that this guy knows how to lead into space and is usually a deadeye in front of goal (a rarity in our team).

The point is he's potentially the type of player someone might offer overs for. As his best stuff is elite, as is his recent form. Unfortunately he picks and chooses. We should have a price in mind and if we get offered that snap deal. If we don't then we keep a guy who on his day is a gun.

Demonland only wants to move on players that are worth 0 to the market.

Can we please include in this conversation the draft this year is BOTH highly compromised with academy and F/S and is supposedly a weak draft anyway.

So even a “ late first rounder” , that some here are so keen on getting, might end up being a pick 26 or so in a weak draft. Not the year for trading out players.

50 minutes ago, Wells 11 said:

Not the year for trading out players.

Unless <insert new coach> thinks they’re a problem

Yes please!

Announce Bucks today, get him straight on the front foot.

Liam Ryan apparently being monitored by Vic clubs, only 28, would we be interested?

44 minutes ago, NeveroddoreveN said:

Liam Ryan apparently being monitored by Vic clubs, only 28, would we be interested?

We do need another small forward, depends on the price.

At least he'd stop taking screamers against us.

2 hours ago, Demonland said:

Windhager would be a great get - he’s been really solid for the Saints this year and at 22 still has the scope to improve

My only concern is where does he fit if Viney, Trac and Clarry are all on the list in 2026?

Windhager is good but he’s not exactly the silky midfielder we’re crying out for, so do we risk adding another inside type when we’re already overstocked in that area?

1 hour ago, NeveroddoreveN said:

Liam Ryan apparently being monitored by Vic clubs, only 28, would we be interested?

We haven't been one of the clubs mentioned; StK, Essendon, Carlton and also Port Adelaide.

Just now, demoncat said:

Windhager would be a great get - he’s been really solid for the Saints this year and at 22 still has the scope to improve

My only concern is where does he fit if Viney, Trac and Clarry are all on the list in 2026?

Windhager is good but he’s not exactly the silky midfielder we’re crying out for, so do we risk adding another inside type when we’re already overstocked in that area?

I agree you can't play him alongside Viney, Trac and Oliver. Ideally he would replace Viney, IMO (once again - this makes the Viney extension extremely debilitating given he is an upgrade on him), but could also be in the mix if we moved Oliver on.

1 hour ago, NeveroddoreveN said:

Liam Ryan apparently being monitored by Vic clubs, only 28, would we be interested?

Max would either be relieved that Liam wouldn’t be sitting on him in games or nervous Liam could be sitting on him at training

Just now, The Jackson FIX said:

Max would either be relieved that Liam wouldn’t be sitting on him in games or nervous Liam could be sitting on him at training

7 minutes ago, The Jackson FIX said:

Max would either be relieved that Liam wouldn’t be sitting on him in games or nervous Liam could be sitting on him at training

I think he'd be nervous he might be sitting on him in every game, instead of once or twice a year

16 hours ago, Howard_Grimes said:

Been thinking.

Hear me out.

Riley Bonner in our VFL side. A player who is 28, silky skills and a mature head. Has played at the level. Has had a great year from what I've gathered. Wrong place wrong time across his career kind of thing?

I'd also say that given our list, given the way the game is currently being played and given he's already embedded in Melbourne and in our VFL side, would it be crazy to offer him a lifeline in the hope that we could release Salem or Bowey to a half forward/pocket over the off-season?

A cheaper option and a player who would cost nothing but a list spot. Can set us up at half back and potentially give a more senior player or at the least, a player who is highly skilled a new lease on life in the forward line?

Bowey and Salem both played half forward in their unders. And their skill set is something we're crying out for in that area of the ground. And if we don't trade Salem, I really think it could be a circuit breaker for him. I'd much prefer a player with high footy IQ and great ball use in that position over an elite runner. Sure you have to be defensively minded but [censored] me if we had players who could use the ball through the middle of the ground and at half forward, we'd be okay.

And the instruction should be for our poor users to give to great users at all costs anyway. Get some quality users on the wings and at half forward and we'd look a lot better.

The issue is you said he has silky skills

Whereas at St Kilda he was known as the butcher

Liam Ryan - if McVee is out the door, McVee for Ryan + WC 2nd round?

Re Windhager, is he a restricted free agent? If so, would that 2nd rounder get it done?

If i am the new head coach, I'm telling Viney to lose 5kg, hit the running track and get used to a forward line role. I'm also hoping a new VC is put in place to begin the succession plan for Max and which gives the chance to drop Viney if he cannot adapt to a new role.

6 hours ago, Wells 11 said:

Can we please include in this conversation the draft this year is BOTH highly compromised with academy and F/S and is supposedly a weak draft anyway.

So even a “ late first rounder” , that some here are so keen on getting, might end up being a pick 26 or so in a weak draft. Not the year for trading out players.

It's a fair comment but it still has to be said with a view to even more compromised drafts looming we really have to get a lot of things right, and setup over the next few years.

One hell of a balancing act for the recruitment and list management.

26 may be better than 25 but we can only play the cards we have.

Good luck us.... we'll need it.

21 minutes ago, MrFreeze said:

Liam Ryan - if McVee is out the door, McVee for Ryan + WC 2nd round?

Re Windhager, is he a restricted free agent? If so, would that 2nd rounder get it done?

If i am the new head coach, I'm telling Viney to lose 5kg, hit the running track and get used to a forward line role. I'm also hoping a new VC is put in place to begin the succession plan for Max and which gives the chance to drop Viney if he cannot adapt to a new role.

Windhager is a Non-Free Agent, which means a trade will have to occur. I would imagine as he looks to be highly sought after by other clubs as well, that it would have to be pick 24 (currently our first selection.) Considering it's a weaker draft and we also get White and Sinnema in, I would be quite happy with this business.

21 minutes ago, MrFreeze said:

Liam Ryan - if McVee is out the door, McVee for Ryan + WC 2nd round?

Re Windhager, is he a restricted free agent? If so, would that 2nd rounder get it done?

If i am the new head coach, I'm telling Viney to lose 5kg, hit the running track and get used to a forward line role. I'm also hoping a new VC is put in place to begin the succession plan for Max and which gives the chance to drop Viney if he cannot adapt to a new role.

Viney in the forward line is an interesting prospect. I'm not sure he has totality of attributes to make it work (as opposed to those in the Dan Butler/Jack Higgins/Cam Rayner/Beau McCreery moulds), but he is a surprisingly accurate kick for goal. If he's taking a set shot, I'd back him in 9/10 times. I will say though, I think if Viney wants to see out his contract playing in the senior side, he needs more strings to his bow than what he currently displays. It would be worth experimenting with.

On 09/08/2025 at 16:01, Random Task said:

Probably not much chance with this one but perhaps we should be monitoring Jordon Croft from the bulldogs?

201cm athletic key forward. Hasn't played at senior level yet but starting to put some nice form together at VFL level. Hard to see him getting a chance with Naughton and Darcy unless they opt for 3 talls.

Father-son Jordan Croft will make his debut for the Western Bulldogs against West Coast on Sunday.

The 201cm son of Matthew has kicked six goals in the last fortnight in the VFL

@7NewsMelbourne @7AFL

16 hours ago, kurtneverdied said:

There are 3 players we could have traded for heaps. Trac, Oliver and Petty and now we would be lucky to get a first rounder from all 3.

No one made a serious offer for Clarry at the end of 2023. The best offer from Geelong last year was just about a joke.

No one made a serious offer for Tracc last year, he’d have forced a trade if one was remotely available.

The only one of those who the club was actually offered a deal for was Petty for a couple of late firsts in the 2022 draft with no doubt a second or more going back the other way. Easy to say now we should’ve done that but that undervalues how much good footy at both ends of the ground Petty should have left. Petty for Darcy Wilson or James Leake and a pick swap isn’t the home run some think it is.

I’d have put Fritsch on the table last year, the writing was well and truly on the wall, but at the same time we’d lost AnB and we need guys in the forward line who aren’t kids or Melksham.

The bigger issue with our list management is handing on long mega deals that have seemingly bounced up with the cap. We signed Clarry super early with a mega deal, which given he’d never missed a game and never played poorly was perhaps fine (even if he was never the perfect citizen off field). But what was reported as a 1M deal at signing seems to now include years peaking at 1.7 after the cap rises. If he was on a reasonable wage we’d be able to eat a bunch of it and get a pick for him.

2 hours ago, demoncat said:

My only concern is where does he fit if Viney, Trac and Clarry are all on the list in 2026?

I reckon you answered your own question here.